The email warns that a man with the company named Dave Green called several chamber members insinuating that he was representing area country clubs for a publication called Golf & Club Digest.

JoAnn Ryan, chamber president, said that they were made aware of the calls and immediately contacted the Torrington Country Club to verify the validity of the man's claims. The club told her that there was no "Dave Green" on their staff.

The chamber email confirmed that the country club has no affiliation with Green, Elite Media or Golf & Club Digest.

A reporter from the Register Citizen called Green to inquire about advertising opportunities and was given a similar pitch. Green told the reporter that Elite Media creates directories for private country clubs, including the Torrington, Litchfield, Stoney Brook, and Green Woods clubs in this area.

However, Green denied being directly affiliated with any of these country clubs.

Paul Mitchell, of Paul Mitchell Renovations, called the Register Citizen Friday about a call he had received from Green. Mitchell didn't give Elite Media any information, but said he came very close to advertising with the company.

Mitchell said that Green told him he retrieved his contact details through the Chamber and other country clubs, likely off of the chamber's directory, which is published online. Ryan agreed that was probably how these people were getting contact information.

"They said they were building a directory," said Mitchell. "They wanted to offer me a spot."

Mitchell said it seemed like an exclusive offer. Elite Media wanted him to pay to put an advertisement in the directory.

"Advertising is a tool I use all the time," said Mitchell.

That is why he came close to believing Green's offer.

He told Green that he wanted to think about it and that is when the sales associate got more pushy, claimed Mitchell.

"He lowered the price by $75," said Mitchell.

Elite Media reportedly called Mitchell several times to secure advertising with them before Mitchell returned their calls Friday to tell the country club was unaware of their company.

The Register Citizen contacted Green on a phone number provided by Mitchell, 1-310-299-7272, and was told that Golf & Club Digest creates "regional specific exclusive directories." Their product is for country club members and local homeowners, said Green.

He informed the reporter that Elite Media offers three sizes of ads for $400, $700 and $1200, respectively.

When asked if the directories had been published before and if samples were available, Green directed the reporter to his website, gcdigest.com, which contained at least one sample. However, the majority of the pages within the sample digital magazine were blank.

Green urged the reporter that "reserving a spot" guaranteed "business for a year." He hoped to do this immediately so good space within the directory was exclusive.

The reporter then identified herself and asked about the scam Elite Media was supposedly running with local chamber members.

"I wouldn't know anything about that," said Green.

Green went on to defend Elite Media as a legitimate company.

"I think there was a miscommunication," said Green. According to him, someone his company contacted must have thought the sales associate said they were from the chamber or the country club.

Green said that Elite Media uses a chamber directory as a "lead source" to find reputable companies within the community for advertisements.

Green said he had heard about the reported "scam" in Torrington, but maintained it was a miscommunication.

"All you can do is tell the truth," said Green.

In response to Green's claims of Elite Media being a valid company, Ryan said, "If that's the case, they have a very obnoxious sales person."

"Once we sent out the email, we got a lot of emails and phone calls from people saying they had been contacted," said Ryan.

According to her, several of the chamber members who called her said the sales associate they were speaking with had hung up on them.

"One person said he even used my name. I do not know this person," said Ryan.

Ryan said that the Torrington Country Club was very upset when she called to inform them of what was going on.

The Torrington Country Club was not immediately available to comment further on the scam.

A commenter named "Kacey" detailed how she had gotten a call from a company wanting her to advertise in the magazine. "Kacey" said she called the country club the magazine claimed to be in, and that the manager said they never heard of them.